The Nashville Predators and star forward Steven Stamkos haven’t proved that last year’s disappointing campaign was a one-off.
They started this season with a 4-5-2 record, which shouldn’t be much of a shock given that they finished 30th in the NHL last year. But there’s something that doesn’t sit well – and that’s the play of Stamkos.
The 35-year-old saw his goals total fall from 40 with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2023-24 to 27 with the Predators last year. And this season, through 11 games, Stamkos has produced only one goal and two points. That’s it.
Stamkos – who is averaging 17:22 of ice time this season – can’t blame a lack of ice time for his reduced production. He averaged 18:00 last year after averaging 18:14 in his final season in Tampa Bay.
With that said, it may be time for the Predators to start looking to end Stamkos’ time in Nashville and put him on the trade block. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said last week that if the Predators don’t improve, he could see a situation where both sides meet up and look at their options.
Stamkos has two seasons left after this one in his four-year contract worth $8 million annually.
He does have a no-move clause, however, which means if any team wants him, it has to be worth his while. That very likely means being a veteran-laden Stanley Cup contender.
Here are three franchises that make sense as potential trade destinations for Stamkos.
Carolina Hurricanes
When Stamkos joined the Predators in the summer of 2024, they looked like a potential Stanley Cup front-runner. The Hurricanes, meanwhile, have designs on another deep Stanley Cup playoff run this season and, at least, another half-decade.
Carolina has $9.12 million in salary cap space, so they could accommodate Stamkos’ $8-million cap hit without clearing cap space.
But what would the Hurricanes have to send Nashville’s way to make the trade worthwhile for the Preds? What about making Nashville send Stamkos as part of a significant package for sniper Andrei Svechnikov?
Like Stamkos, Svechnikov is also off to a slow start this season, with only one goal and one point in nine games, and he only averaged 50 points in the last two seasons. While Svechnikov is only 25, his $7.75-million salary is a near-perfect match for Stamkos’ salary. He would help Nashville try to rebound from some mediocre years, while Stamkos could be more productive for Carolina immediately. The Hurricanes still have Sebastian Aho, Nikolaj Ehlers, Seth Jarvis, Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake signed for the long term, anyway.
Ultimately, Stamkos could be sold on the benefits of joining a Hurricanes team that’s oh-so-close to winning a Cup. He may never get a better chance at a Cup than the one Carolina can give him.
Los Angeles Kings
The Kings made a slew of changes in the off-season, including the hiring of GM Ken Holland. For the most part, those moves have panned out well, as Los Angeles has only lost three times in regulation in its 11 games so far.
But L.A. still has $2.1 million in cap space, a total that accrues at the trade deadline to $8.5 million, making Stamkos’ salary a perfect deadline fit for the Kings.
Of the three teams on this list, Los Angeles has arguably the best prospect and draft pick pipeline. Holland has all of his first- and second-round draft picks for the next three drafts, and peeling off one or two of them plus a roster player and/or a prospect could be the best trade package Nashville could hope for in a Stamkos trade. And playing out his final few seasons in sunny California – while being on a competitive Kings team – could entice Stamkos.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Why? Because Stamkos is from Toronto, that’s why.
And because the Maple Leafs still need a right winger to fit regularly on the first line without splitting up the effective John Tavares and William Nylander duo. So who better than a likely Hockey Hall of Famer like Stamkos to fill that void?
Stamkos might very well envision a first line of himself, Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies as the best possible environment for him in his later NHL years.
The main issues here are cap space and what assets the Leafs have that Nashville would want.
Right now, the Leafs have virtually no cap space. If they were to try to acquire Stamkos this season, they would almost certainly need to convince Nashville to retain $4.25 million of his salary for the rest of his contract, despite the Predators wanting to return to the playoffs as soon as possible.
Roster players would have to head Nashville’s way in a money-in, money-out deal, and the Leafs would have to consider adding a top prospect to sweeten the pot.
Nevertheless, with the rising salary cap ceiling, the Maple Leafs can fit Stamkos into the bigger picture. And if the allure of playing at home to end his NHL days is strong enough for Stamkos, the Preds could find a way to get a deal done with the Leafs.
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